North East Arts News

Issue 128

Autumn brings new textures and colour to the hills of Northumberland, along with the sights, smells and sounds of one of the busiest times of year for the hill farmers, who are preparing and selling their tups (rams) and young breeding ewes. The fields close to the roads contain strangely coloured sheep, which confuse visitors to the area. Bright yellow for the tups (rams) who will be bought by farmers to put out in the hills with their ewes. The bright colour makes them easier to spot, as the shepherd does his rounds, making sure they are doing their job. Young ewes, sold to replace older ewes, are prepared for sale by a dip, sometimes with a hint of colour, to represent the soil type of the area, then any scruffy/dirty bits are clipped off, and the final stage of preparation is having their faces washed to bring out the…